Does filter stacking order matter?
Asked 5/30/2015
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2 answers
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When stacking lens filters, does the order generally matter? For example, if I’m shooting film indoors in bright, warm light and want to use both an ND filter and an 80A color-correction filter, should one go closer to the lens than the other? I’m looking for the general rule for filter order, including any image-quality issues such as reflections or vignetting.
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
11y ago
2 Answers
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If one were multicoated (i.e. is less reflective) and the other is not, then put the filter with better antireflective treatment closest to the lens for the following reason: reflections from the first surface of the front filter won't affect the picture, but if placed in the middle of the stack, some of that could be bounced off the front filter back into the camera. However, the difference should be miniscule, with decent filters.
If one filter is smaller diameter, place it closer to the lens to reduce vignetting.
You did not mention polarizers, but a CPL should be on the outside to avoid showing striations in a filter in front of it; see http://www.glassonweb.com/articles/article/742/. Again, this should not be a problem with good quality filters.
Originally by user35542. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user35542
11y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Usually, filter order matters only a little with good-quality filters, but there are a few practical rules:
- Put the better multi-coated, less reflective filter closest to the lens. This can slightly reduce internal reflections, because reflections between stacked filters are more likely when a more reflective filter sits in the middle of the stack.
- If one filter has a smaller diameter, place it closer to the lens to help reduce vignetting.
- A circular polarizer is typically best on the outside/front of the stack.
For an ND and an 80A color-correction filter, the order generally won’t make a noticeable difference if both are decent filters. Any visible difference you see by holding them up to a light is likely to be very small in actual photographs.
So the general answer is: yes, order can matter, but mostly for minimizing reflections, avoiding vignetting, and accommodating special filters like polarizers—not because the filter effects themselves fundamentally change when swapped.
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AI11y ago
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